Sighting device for guns



Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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E. SCHNEIDER.

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6, I9I9.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, .ASSIG-NOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE., OFPARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

SIG-HTING DEVICE FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application led .Tune 16, 1919. Serial No. 304,661.

T o all w hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGNE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, a resident of Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented anew and useful Sighting Device for Guns, combined with devices forindicating the site elevations and range elevations and for correctingtransverse and longitudinal inclinations of the gun-carriage, whichinvention is fully set forth in the following specification.

In my application Serial No. 304,660, of even date herewith, I haveshown and described and broadly claimed an improved aiming apparatusadapted to allow one and the same gun layer to perform all the operations of sighting, elevating and of automatically making the correctionsdue to the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the gun carriage,also to modify elevation and at the same time of correspondinglyaltering the firing angle of the gun barrel, while maintaining the lineof sight immovably directed upon the target in the case of direct fire,or upon a register mark in the case of indirect fire.

The present invention has for its object to provide a particularlysimple constructional form of the invention described in the saidapplication, which shall afford the advantage above referred to.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section on the line I-Iof Fig. 2.

Fig.' 2 is a side elevation partly in section on the line II-II of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line IIL-III of Fig. 2.

In this example, the support or bracket B that forms the common supportfor the sighting apparatus A the device for reading of the siteelevations, and the device for reading off the range elevations, is, asin the examples described in the said application, articulated to one ofthe trunnions E of the gun carriage cradle by a Cardan joint, of whichone axle D rigidly fixed to the trunnion is always parallel to the axisof the gun barrel; the other axle c of the cardan forms a journal forthe bracket B. This bracket carries the register mark O of the devicefor reading ofi' the range elevations, and the graduation divisions ofthe range elevation plate M moved past said register mark. Theelevational movements given to the gun barrel are transmitted to theplate M by a multiplying gear comprising the toothed sector a, thepinions 1 and 2 mounted on an axle 3, and the pinion fm, carried by apin L situated in the prolongation of the axis of the axle c.

The bracket B has an extension B1 terminating in a spherical knob b1working in a slot guide g that is always situated in a plane at rightangles to the symmetry plane of the gun carriage. This slot guide g isin its turn carried by a slide block I of arc shape having its centersituated in the axis, of the trunnions of the gun carriage cradle. Thisslide block is guided by ribs i in a guide f formed on the said frameplate F of the gun carriage; it is provided with a toothed sector I1meshing with a worm R which is journaled in the guide box j" and iscapable of being actuated by means of a knurled hand wheel 7.

The bracket B carries, besides the device for reading off the rangeelevations, a device for reading off the site elevations. In the bracketB there is journaled a worm P, operable by means of a knurled hand wheelp, and with which meshes a toothed sector K1 fixed to a spirit level K.The spirit level K carries on the other hand a register mark 7c which ismovable over a graduated scale Q formed of an arc-shaped member that isconcentric to the sector K1, and is carried by the bracket B.

The apparatus yfor enabling the bracket B to be uprighted by rotationaround the axle D parallel to the axis of the gun barrel, comprises anarm C1 projecting above the axle pin c. In the end of this arm is formeda cylindrical lodgment for a nut C2 of corresponding shape in whichworks a screw H which is operable by means of a hand wheel H1 and endsin a spherical head H2 movable in a lodgment E2 of corresponding shape,formed in an arm El which is fixed to the trunnion E at right angles tothe axis of the said trunnion. By operating the screw H1, the nut C2 iscaused to move and with it the arm C1 which rocks around the axle pin D.The bracket B is caused to share this movement but it rotates alsoaround the axle pin c because it is held by the spherical knob b1engaged in the slot guide g.

Assuming, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2,that the axis of the trunnions E is inclined transversely, thisinclinationa-l movement will involve the bracket B, with the result thatthe aiming of the gun will be untrue both as regards training andelevation. In order to return the gun barrel into the correct positionof aiming, the gun layer will have to perform the following maneuvers Byactuating the hand wheel IIl in the requisite direction until the bubbleof the transverse spirit level J is brought back between its marks, thegun layer restores the vertical position of the bracket B by rotationaround the axle pin D. In this movement, owing to the combined rotationof the bracket B around the axle pin D and the axle pin c, there will beproduced as above described, a diiierence of angular position betweenthe register mark O and the graduation division of the plate M situatedopposite it. This difference of angular position represents inprojection upon the plane of the plate M, the angle through which thcgun layer will have to elevate the gun barrel in order to bring it intothe desired elevation. The gun layer will therefore have to operate theelevating mechanism, while keeping the bracket B vertical, until thcgraduation division of the elevations corresponding to the range, willhave come opposite the register mark 0. It will then only be necessaryto correct the position of the gun barrel as regards training, byoperating the training mechanism so as to bring back the line of sighton to the target, or upon the register mark, according as the gun is tobe aimed by direct or indirect sighting.

If, in the course of firing, a longitudinal inclination of the guncarriage should happen, the spirit level K will be inclined togetherwith the bracket B in the vertical plane, and the bubble of the saidspirit level will no longer be situated between its marks In order toreturn it into the proper position it is merely necessary to operate thehand wheel r. In this movement the bracket B rotates around Jthe axlepin c and shifts the register mark 0 which is no longer situatedopposite the graduation division of the elevation corresponding to therange of the target. In order to correct the position of the gun barrelit is su'fiicent to operate the elevating mechanism until the saidgraduation divisioii" has come opposite the register mark 0. In short,in order to get the gun barrel properly aimed, it is necessary tomaintain the graduation division of the elevation corresponding to therange of the target always opposite the register mark 0, and to maintainthe line of sight directed on to the target or on to the indirect aimingmark, while keeping the bubbles of the spirit levels K and J maintainedbetween their limit marks.

The operations to be executed for firing the first time upon adetermined target are the following:

If the tiring is to be done by direct sighting upon the target, the lineof sight is directed on to the target by operating the hand-wheel o. Inthis movement the bracket B assumed to be vertical at the beginning, isinclined by rotation around the axle pin c, and it moves with it theaXle 3 and the whole of the gearing 1, 2, m. Since the sector a remainsstationary, the pinion l will roll over it and will move the rangeelevation plate M relatively to the register mark 0 through an anglecorresponding to the site elevation of the target. If therefore byoperating the elevating mechanism, the gun layer returns the Zerodivision of the graduation opposite the register mark O, he will by thatmeans have given to the gun barrel the elevation corresponding to thesite elevation of the target. In order to give the desired correctelevation to the gun barrel, the gun` layer has now merely to bringopposite the register mark O, the Igraduation division of the plate Mcorresponding to the range of the target. If the gun trunnions areinclined, this operation will be effected as hereinbefore described,while keeping the bracket B vertical, that is to say, while keeping thebubble of the spirit level J between its limit marks.

In the case of firing by indirect sighting, the hand wheel 79 isoperated until the pointer 79 carried by the spirit level K, has beenbrought opposite the graduation division of the given site elevation.Then the hand wheel r is operated until the inclination given to thebracket B returns the bubble of the spirit level between its limitmarks. In this movement,v as in the case of tiring with direct aim, anangular diierence of position is produced between the zero division ofthe graduation of the range elevation plate M and the register mark O.If then the elevating mechanism be operated until this register mark Oand the zero division of the plate M have been brought back again intocoincidence with each other, this operation will automatically impart tothe gun barrel an elevation corresponding` to the site elevation.

What I claim is:

l. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, agun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a sight supportingbracket, a journal having :Thinge connection with the trunnion of thegun for revolubly supporting said bracket, the axis of the hinge beingparallel with the gun axis, arrange `elevation.disk revolublyT mountedin said bracket and having gear connections with said journal, meanscarried by said trunnion for uprighting said bracket and a guide forconfining the uprighting Lf. i;

movement of said bracket in a plane normal to the symmetry plane of thegun carriage, said guide being mounted on a fixed part of the guncarriage and adjustably slidable in an arc concentric with the guntrunnion.

2. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, agun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a bracket member havinga Cardan joint connection with a gun trunnion, a divided scale mountedon said bracket, a rack and pinion sector adapted to receive a sightingtelescope and provided with a spirit level having a pointer movable oversaid scale, a range elevation disk revolubly mounted in said bracket andhaving gear connections with one element of said Cardan joint, meanscarried by said trunnion for uprighting said bracket and a guide forconfining the uprighting movement of said bracket in a plane normal tothe symmetry plane of the gun carriage, said guide being mounted on afixed part of the gun carriage and adjustably slidable in an arcconcentric with the gun trunnion.

3. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, agun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a device for reading o'sight elevations, a supporting bracket therefor, a journal having ahinge connection with a trunnion of the gun for revolubly supportingsaid bracket, the axis of the hinge being parallel with the gun axis, arange elevation disk revolubly mounted in said bracket and having gearconnections with said journal, means carried by the gun trunnion foruprighting said bracket comprising z-an arm fast to said journal, asecond arm fast to said trunnion and a threaded operating member havingball and socket connections with both of said arms; a slotted guide forconfining the uprighting movement of said bracket in a plane normal tothe symmetry plane of the gun carriage, said guide being mounted on afixed part of the gun carriage and adjustably slidable in an arcconcentric with the gun trunnion.

Testimony whereof I have Signed this speciication.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER. Titnesses ANDR Mos'rIoKER, CHAs. P. PRESSLY.

